Rick and Sasha Show Ready to Take Over Mornings in More Markets

More than 18 months ago radio personality Sasha the Diva started putting together a plan to launch a morning show. The idea was to bring a younger leaning urban adult contemporary morning show offering that could replace the TJMS. Tom Joyner had announced in December 2017 that he would be retiring at the end of 2019. At the time Radio One/ Reach Media had not announced a replacement.

Sasha the Diva seized the opportunity. She was the afternoon personality on Atlanta's Kiss 104 and decided to pitch the idea to veteran media personality Rick Party, who at the time was at Miami's Hot 105. In a matter of months Westwood One was brought in to launch the show as "Rick and Sasha. Real People. Real Radio." in January 2019 from Atlanta.



Here's a bio on Rick and Sasha from their Kansas City affiliate Magic 107.3. 

Calm. Cool. Collected! Rick Party oozes swag. This Chicago native has a legacy of breathing life into Rhythmic, Mainstream Urban and Urban AC stations across the country. He also voices promos for BET, Top Rank Promotion boxing, and most recently, the voice on ESPN for SportsCenter at 6, and the Stephan A. Smith syndicated show. He has been one of the most well recognized and sought after voices in the entertainment world as the voice of ABC, FOX, Cartoon Network, CBS and more. Somehow, he still manages to run, like, 20 miles a day! Seriously, the guy’s a beast! A Personal Trainer. King of Swag and Father of 7. Channeling Jay-Z, he’s not a business man, he’s a business, man!

Sasha The Diva is one of the nations most recognized Urban radio personalities and hosts! She’s made guest appearances on R&B Divas Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Atlanta and several other Urban TV shows. Sasha’s love for television and film has led to appearances in several movies as well, including “The Gospel” where she played a successful radio/ television personality. She has also hosted red carpets for the Grammy’s, Oscars and BET Award Shows. Sasha also shares her deeply personal struggles, tough lessons, and experiential advice as the author of “Blended But Not Broken”. Blended families can thrive, and Sasha The Diva explains how you can better navigate through the process of merging households in this practical guide. Her mission is to help those who will encounter or who are already part of a blended family. She even includes more significant details about her family’s intervention from renowned life coach Iyanla Vanzant, which aired on television (“Iyanla Fix My Life”).

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The show has over 25 affiliates with Atlanta being its largest market as the show airs on "OG 97.9." The other markets include New Orleans, Kansas City, Charleston and Columbia SC. Those stations are all Cumulus Media stations. Radio 103.9 a Cumulus Media station in the New York City area, that aired the TJMS, has not announced if Rick and Sasha will be their morning show in 2020.

Recent additions to the show have signaled a commitment to bring more competition to the syndicated urban radio morning show landscape. Steve Harvey is now positioned as the number one show across the country, but Harvey continues to drop hints that he may retire within the next couple of years. The others joining in are Radio One/Reach Media's The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and The Russ Parr Morning Show. Also the P.M. drive show Chubb Rock with SiMan have a morning show in development.

Since its original launch there's been an "addition" to the show honey in the name of "Swoosh" aka Chef Will Brown. He appears on the Sasha Secret's celebrity news segments. He's a REAL chef and a restaurateur (Taste of Atlanta) that has a knack for radio. (Where did he come from? He's good and he's funny!)

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@sashathediva always give me life @ 6am before #sashasecrets. She is my coffee & I am her Tee.. Catch us every Morning on the @rickandsasha Morning show. Check your local listings for station. #syndicatedradio #rickandsasha #cheflifestyle #chefwillbrown #radiopersonality #dailypopnews #essenceeats #essencefestival #essencemagazine #peoplemagazine #contributor

A post shared by Chef Will Brown (Atlanta, GA) (@chefwillbrown) on Nov 14, 2019 at 8:37am PST

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Guess what you missed today?? Catch it every Morning 7:40 am & 9:40am Est. Checking your local Listings for @rickandsasha morning show #syndicatedradio #soulmusic #R&B #willsway #chefwillbrown

A post shared by Chef Will Brown (Atlanta, GA) (@chefwillbrown) on Aug 29, 2019 at 4:30pm PDT

Also joining the show within the last week is veteran radio personality Tony Richards, who is on board as a producer on the program. Tony may even be a fill-in host on the show as well???



We did notice that comedian George Willborn sat in with the crew for a few shows. Willborn is a radio free agent as he is no longer with the Michael Baisden Show. He's also been hosting events for WHUR. He may or may not join Rick and Sasha. We will keep you up to date on this.

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#rickparty #sashathediva #realpeoplerealradio

A post shared by Rick and Sasha (@rickandsasha) on Nov 5, 2019 at 7:28am PST

Rick and Sasha is slightly different from the other morning shows as Rick and Sasha, the primary voices on the show, have equal footing. Also as the primary voices, there aren't 3 or 4 secondary voices chiming in during every break in music. That might be appealing to new listeners to the show.

We shall see how morning radio will pan out in 2020 for the Urban Adult Contemporary format. 

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Rick Party: @FlyjockTomJoyner , Thank you As “The Fly Jock,” Tom Joyner, officially retired today, my memories of him go back to his WJPC Chicago days. Me, just a young kid from the southside of Chicago (Englewood), I would listen to Tom on the radio (before he was national) with my siblings as dad drove us to work, not knowing one day I’d work as a radio host coming on after him everyday. It was in 1992, at WGCI Chicago, The 3rd largest market where Tom Joyner and Doug Banks reigned supreme and I had just completed a radio World Tour working in the late 80's in Wilmington NC, Macon GA, Charleston SC, Norfolk VA, Dallas and Miami. After honing my craft at 6 Radio stations from 1987-1992, my former Dallas program director, Elroy Smith, gave me a call in Miami and asked me to apply for an open position. I sent a demo of my radio show, followed by a video demo of me in action, needless to say, he and Marv Dyson were impressed and the rest was history. Watching and Listening Tom & Doug work everyday, then coming on after them was inspirational for for my soul. Two years later in 1994, Tom started his syndication deal with ABC radio networks, Then Doug followed after in 1996 or so. Well, today, 25 years later, Tom Joyner said 'Goodbye' as the host of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and 'Hello' to sleeping in. Today, we'll see pictures of Tom Joyner flooded on our timelines, as he's been an inspiration to each of us who 'Rock This Mic.' Before I announced my morning syndicated show in 2018, I sat with Tom in his Miami home and just talked. Maybe one day I'll share the conversation in my book, but for now, I just want to say THANK YOU Tom for EVERYTHING you've done for us all as people!

A post shared by Rick and Sasha (@rickandsasha) on Dec 13, 2019 at 2:26pm PST